This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
With the opening of the farmers market April 7th we are reminded that resh
food is good food. For 31 years, the farmers at Boulder County Farmers
Markets have worked to grow high-quality food for our community. In 2017,
local growers provided almost a million pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables,
meats, and edible plants to Boulder County residents.
Growing locally also means paying a fair wage, supporting the environment,
and minimizing the use of toxic chemicals. The higher cost of local
production and a lack of awareness prevent many in our community from
accessing locally grown food. Even though the median family income in
Boulder is almost twice the national average, an estimated one in eight
people living in Boulder County need food assistance.
The city of Boulder's tax on sugary drinks is helping us balance the scale.
The tax of two cents per ounce on soda and other sugary drinks allows us to
offer incentives to low-income families and youth populations — groups that
are disproportionately targeted in soda advertising and marketing — to
choose whole fresh foods.
In 2017, grants as a result of the tax allowed us to give gift certificates
to 400 deserving mothers and children for use at the market. Grants for the
2018 season will support doubling SNAP benefits at market and bringing
fresh food to young families and early childhood care centers.
Boulder County Farmers Markets, which operates markets in Boulder and
Longmont, is one of 14 programs in our community that received funds from
the sugary drink tax. We are using it to make a difference at the
grassroots level by putting these tax dollars to work as they were intended
— increasing access to healthy foods and supporting the health of the
community.
Brian Coppom
Executive Director, Boulder County Farmers Markets
Longmont and Boulder
This is an opinion piece that was submitted to the Longmont Observer and does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Longmont Observer. If you have an opinion piece you'd like published, please visit our 'Submit an Opinion' page.
